- Date
- February 4, 1989, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Indian Rocks, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N511UStolp-Adams SA100
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 22, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890204015849A
- Case key
- 32394
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's attempt to perform aerobatic maneuvers in an aircraft that was not equipped with fuel and oil systems that would continue to operate in inverted positions. This action resulted in a loss of power and the pilot having to ditch the aircraft.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
While performing inverted aerobatic maneuvers near the coast line, the eng (which was not installed with an inverted fuel or oil system), sustained a loss of power due to fuel starvation. Unable to restart the eng, the plt elected to ditch the acft near the shore. Examination of the eng revealed no evidence of failure or malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N511U
- Reported as
- Stolp-Adams SA100
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- WR-001
- Airframe hours
- 562
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-D2, 135 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Talmadge, Scott
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 3, 1988 · 29 hours before
- Departed
- SPG · St Petersburg, FL
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 60
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 2,021 total · 2,021 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PIE, 8 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.